Amid speculation that Malawi might severe its 41-year-long diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favor of China, Minister of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) James Huang (
Speaking on condition of anonymity, ministry sources said the effort by Huang indicated that Taipei might be able to salvage ties with its longtime ally.
Huang had planned to visit Malawi last month when the ministry learned that China had offered it a US$6 billion financial package in exchange for diplomatic recognition.
In response, a delegation of Malawi officials was dispatched to China later last month.
MOFA instead sent Vice Minister Yang Tzu-pao (楊子葆) and African Affairs Department Director Chang Yun-ping (張雲屏) to deal with the rumors that Malawi would end diplomatic relations.
Late last month, several local newspapers in Malawi ran reports that Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika had sanctioned severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan while a delegation to Beijing led by Presidential Affairs Minister Davis Katsonga was set to sign a memorandum of understanding to pave the way for establishing diplomatic ties with China.
Mutharika, on the other hand, assured Taiwan during recent talks that his country's diplomatic relations with Taiwan remained stable, the ministry said.
Huang made a public call at the ministry's year-end press conference on Friday, saying that Malawi should "choose wisely" between Taiwan and Beijing.
He said Beijing was casting its covetous eyes on Malawi's natural resources, while relations with Taiwan offered trust, dependability and unwavering friendship that take the improvement of the living standards of Malawian into account.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS